Blogger Philip Greenspun Ira Mitchell (sorry, Ira!) details how a little internet bravery whittled down the price of a pair of new eyeglasses from $500 to a meager $81.

His trick: Buying online to avoid the markup. The glasses Philip ended up with look great, and he claims that they're perfect. Any glasses-wearer knows that buying new specs is a very expensive process, so if you're willing to gamble on a pair of glasses you've never tried on, it looks like you can expect some major savings. If you've ever bought glasses online, let us know how it panned out for you in the comments.